Birth control and Women's Preference

PuppyDontCare · 2022-08-24T15:51:49+00:00

I don't think it's as strong a factor as men want to think. I liked the same men when I was on and off birth control, and before I started it. I just know my type. And it happens to be more feminine men. There's been no notable shift even when I would go off it while single. I didn't suddenly want big guys or jocks or men with beards. I was still looking at twinky or edgy slim guys like, "Yeah...nice."

Also how would that explain my attraction to women? I've been into women (girls because of my age) since I was 12. How does that work?

Also my sister has never been on birth control and is primarily into women, but when she does have interest in men, they're usually very soft and feminine.

AngelsMuse · 2022-08-24T15:51:44+00:00

It's an interesting theory, but it's a huge stretch, to the point I'll say it's flat out wrong, to say in your words that most modern dating problems are caused by birth control.

If we list out the problems with modern dating, only a small portion is going to be related to finding someone whose face we find attractive.

toasterchild · 2022-08-24T15:25:58+00:00

If women were just going for ultra "masculine" men you guys would be upset about that too. The person getting passed over in dating is always going to look for something to blame that isn't themselves.

Urbantexasguy · 2022-08-24T15:44:16+00:00

I think we can all agree, that modern birth control is what makes modern, post sexual revolution relationships possible. Casual sex is still quite a bit riskier for women, than it is for men, but without birth control, that difference becomes much larger, even more so for many, given the recent political developments regarding abortion.

I rank modern BC as one of the "Big 5" inventions of the 20th century, along with the automobile, telephone, TV and internet. Each of these inventions changed the way that men and women think about each other, flirt, date, have sex, and eventually marry.

In fact, I think birth control has, and will continue to change women's behavior in very profound ways, even if you take the hormonal effects out of the question. Women are literally undergoing different evolutionary pressures today, than ever before, and the results will be ongoing, and interesting. Women are able to interact with men, in ways that they couldn't afford to, before.

Women are now able to join us men, in spending a few years playing around with "Mr. Right Now", before they eventually settle down with "Mr. Right", and that's assuming in a few decades, people will still want LTR's at all.

Giving people conscious control over reproduction, is something absolutely brand new in the animal kingdom, and we don't really have a blueprint for the future, when it comes to this event.

EulenWatcher · 2022-08-24T15:46:10+00:00

I think birth rates started declining even before the pill, but pill, of course, helped more women to control their fertility.

Are you talking about purely visual masculine features?

I've never used hormonal contraception, but my sexuality still doesn't fit what's considered "normal". I'm demi and for some reason that falls under the umbrella of asexuality, although I'm not asexual in the least. Have never found traditionally masculine men attractive and extremely "buffed" guys aren't appealing to me even visually.

Cat_Lover259 · 2022-08-24T15:15:15+00:00

Nothing wrong with lower birth rates! We’ve been aiming for this since the baby boomers!

Feisty-Saturn · 2022-08-24T15:25:20+00:00

Birth control lowers libido, I’ve heard people say it’s a rare side effect. I’ve personally experienced it and I don’t see why it would be rare if you understand what it’s actually doing to your body. However, lower libido does not mean no desire to have sex. So let’s just say a woman is in some state where she only want to sleep with feminine looking men. She would still have the desire to have sex with men throughout the month just feminine looking men. Which means masculine men should be struggling in the dating market.

Also there are women who want sex everyday, multiple times a day. I don’t know where you’re getting that women only want sex a couple of times.

KirthWGersen · 2022-08-24T14:56:47+00:00

It may have had some influence. But it is a bit much to say that just one factor is the determining one.

One could equally say that physical strength and the willingness to use it is more of a liability than an asset nowadays, as society has been transformed. Most women don't need a guard dog that could end up turning on them.

JMoon33 · 2022-08-24T15:11:28+00:00

Birth control lowers birthrate you say? How surprising lol

attendquoi · 2022-08-24T16:03:21+00:00

Why would I care what type of man I'm attracted to?

PuppyDontCare · 2022-08-24T17:02:35+00:00

I'm not entirely sure where are you getting this info but my doctor told me modern BC doesn't lower your libido or anything. It only regulates cycle and makes PMS less dreadfull

I've been on and off BC and nothing changed except those things I mentioned and adult acne

This whole theory is pretty weird

The9thElement · 2022-08-24T18:24:12+00:00

I don’t take BC and I like feminine men

Ok-Map-7596 · 2022-08-24T15:32:45+00:00

Then date women who don't use birth control and see what happens.

Poisongirl5 · 2022-08-24T15:20:21+00:00

Birth control has also been shown to make women more attracted to those genetically similar to them. It is theorized this is because it simulates your hormones after pregnancy when you would need the help of family to raise the baby.

I don’t believe the whole afbb nonesense but I do think some women go for the safe choice who they have less sexual attraction to but feel comfortable and supported. And as time goes on or they get off bc they become attracted to a different type of guy.

Valuable-Marzipan761 · 2022-08-24T15:29:00+00:00

However the study on birth control(BC) indirectly proves that to be false.

No it doesn't, it proves that it is affected by the birth control. That makes it true for the women that say it.

PMmeareasontolive · 2022-08-24T15:53:37+00:00

Question for women and those who will actually read the articles linked in OP: does libido really fluctuate regularly menstrual cycles? Cause I think I've known women who were hornier during their period, or at any time during their cycle, not just when ovulating. Women are sexually receptive at any time during their cycle so I'm a little skeptical of OP's claim about hormonal influence being so dramatic. And I don't have time to read the links so; do they make a convincing argument? Is the research conclusive? Are there dissenting opinions in peer reviews, etc?

literaryhogwartian · 2022-08-24T16:07:03+00:00

What particular form of birth control are you talking about? There is a wide variety and not all of them include hormones

MrsKetchup · 2022-08-24T17:23:16+00:00

This just feels like a huge reach. First of all, the sample size of the original study by Psychoneuroendocrinology was only 170. This is a more recent study with a sample size of 6482 which found no evidence of reduced preference for masculine men:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0210162

Also, BC is typically started in young teen years. Young people are naturally more attracted to those their own age with similar features, i.e. youthful/"feminine" boyband look. By the time BC is stopped, usually in preparation for a family in late 20s/30s, attraction will naturally change to mature men.

This seems more like a case of correlation vs causation. This more accurate study shows it, as well:

Women using oral contraceptives showed stronger femininity preferences than women not using oral contraceptives when assessing women’s faces (estimate = 0.056, se = 0.017, t = 3.266, p = .001), but not when assessing men’s faces (estimate = -0.010, se = 0.022, t = -0.467, p = .641). For female faces, the positive intercept (estimate = 1.007, se = 0.083, t = 12.164, p < .001) indicated femininity preferences were significantly above chance. For male faces, the near-zero intercept (estimate = -0.017, se = 0.112, t = -0.155, p = 0.879) indicated femininity preferences were not significantly different from chance. For female faces, there was a significant positive effect of participant age (estimate = 0.019, se = 0.007, t = 2.585, p = .010), indicating that older women had stronger preferences for female femininity. For male faces, there was a significant negative effect of participant age (estimate = -0.025, se = 0.009, t = -2.732, p = .006), indicating that older women had stronger preferences for male masculinity.

mackenzie013_02 · 2022-08-24T17:25:37+00:00

There’s BC that’s non hormonal. Also, not sure how many women are on hormonal BC when they’re single - so not sure how I’d change the initial attraction.

Entiox · 2022-08-24T17:32:48+00:00

Except that as of 2018 (the most recent data I could find) the majority of women do not use hormonal birth control. Women aged 20-29 are the most likely to be using birth control, but only 19.5% of those women are using birth control pills, and 13.1% are using LARCs (long acting reversible contraceptives). LARCs also include non-hormonal contraceptives, like IUDs with copper, so it's maybe around 30% of women aged 20-29 who are using hormonal birth control.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db327.htm#:~:text=Pill%20use%20decreased%20with%20increasing,of%20those%20aged%2040%E2%80%9349.

LouisdeRouvroy · 2022-08-24T16:13:36+00:00

The pill is rarely used in Japan where it's legal only since 2000.

Does anything you say about women not on BC apply to Japanese women?

Stunning-Potato-1984 · 2022-08-25T05:35:32+00:00

OP clearly has no idea what a copper IUD is.

GoldenHornyChicken · 2022-08-25T12:42:59+00:00

BC never had any effect on my libido. I didn't stopped to want my - not so tall, very gentle - partner when I stopped BC to get a copper IUD, or when I quit every contraception in order to conceive. One struggle of the pregnancy is that I still feel horny, but too sick, heavy and tired to have good sex. So no effect on libido either. Women are not mares or pussies. We don't have 'heats".

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Ganajin · 2022-08-24T15:40:22+00:00

So this is why you occasionally hear about women that lose their attraction to their boyfriends/husband once they get off of birth control.

Wouldn't this also mean that sexually active women that use birth control, are a greater risk as a partner than a woman that doesn't use birth control? Primarily, for men who are not perceived as masculine by whatever standards these women may have? Keep in mind, that this is likely to be the majority of men due to 80/20. Not to say that they're all feminine, but rather that they're not masculine enough.

While at the same time, men that are seen as masculine are later at risk of no longer being seen as attractive should his partner get onto birth control?

What complicates this more, is that transitioning your appearance fast enough to fit into the changing standards of a woman is more than likely impossible.

Hysterical__Paroxysm · 2022-08-24T18:33:08+00:00

I mean, for me this is true in a roundabout way because I refuse to use any type of invasive or hormonal birth control. Dudes can get a vasectomy or use condoms. LTR partners can get a vasectomy, use condoms, or be an active participant in tracking my cycle so we can either abstain when I'm fertile, use a condom, or use a diaphragm with spermicide.

So if you want to get laid with me, those are your non-negotiable options, regardless of my initial attraction.

spiritdancer_ · 2022-08-24T19:36:16+00:00

I've only just started BC (last 4 months), but I always thought androgynous people were more attractive than anyone who leaned very heavily feminine or masculine. That's always been my ideal for a partner, at least in physical appearance.

I have not noticed any change in how much I want sex or when I want to masturbate, however I have actually found it much easier to ignore those desires when they arise and now I only do it when it's something I actually want to do in that moment. To put it another way, it's a lot easier to just tell my brain "we're not doing this right now" but my brain still wants it at the same rate. But I'm also started ADHD meds around the same time I started BC and those do lower impulsivity in people with ADHD, so take that with a grain of salt.

greedyleopard42 · 2022-08-24T20:40:13+00:00

copper iud… and men complaining less about condoms

decemberrainfall · 2022-08-24T22:06:48+00:00

Lmao what a load of junk. My preferences didn't change on or off bc and I haven't been on it for years now

2022-08-25T14:46:25+00:00

Lower birth rates is something I don’t mind. Less rugrats less people

TheNamelessComposer · 2023-02-10T00:42:33+00:00

I wonder if the prevalence of BC has led to a rise in bisexuality in women?

Title	Birth control and Women's Preference
Author	YtBlue
Upvotes	5
Comments	200
Date	August 24, 2022 2:49 PM UTC (3 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/PurplePillDebate
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/PurplePillDebate/comments/wwli6a/birth_control_and_womens_preference/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/PurplePillDebate/birth-control-and-womens-preference.1129539 https://theredarchive.com/post/1129539

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